No Work, No Play? Recession means fewer jobs for teens in Central New York

Michelle Gabel / The Post-StandardChad Abbott, 18, a senior at Fabius-Pompey High School, is working his second summer at The Pompey Club in Jamesville. Some experts say teens will face stiff competition in the summer job market, as they compete with older, more experienced applicants.

As the school year winds down, teen jubilation about "no more pencils, no more books" could quickly deflate into dread about no more jobs.

With the economy sputtering and the region's overall unemployment rate at 7.7 percent (as of April), some summer jobs might be harder to come by than in years past.

"We are pretty much now in what we call the thick of the recession, where the job market is tighter and more challenging now than it was a year ago," said Karen Knapik-Scalzo, associate economist for the state Department of Labor's Syracuse office. "It's challenging for a couple of reasons. We have fewer jobs than we did a year ago. Some employers also might be more hesitant to hire because of the economy."

Stan Gorman, owner and general manager of The Pompey Club, was forced to cut back "considerably" on the number of young people he usually hires as lifeguards and pro shop and restaurant workers, after some club members let their memberships lapse. And the scaled-back staff has had to pick up the slack -- including Gorman himself.

"We're all trying to do a little bit more with a little bit less," Gorman said. "We used to wash our (golf) carts all the time. Now, we sweep 'em out and park 'em. They don't get washed every night. They may go a day or two without getting a wash."

Chad Abbott, a senior at Fabius-Pompey High School, expects to wear multiple hats this summer at the country club.

"There's me and a couple of other guys that work in all those places and we kind of take turns depending on what they need," Abbott, 18, said.

Although Gorman said he'll still accept applications and keep them on file, he adds: "I don't have enough hours for the employees I do have."

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Not only is the job pool smaller, it might be crowded with some unexpected applicants -- older, displaced workers.

"I definitely think there is competition outside of the program, because there are people who have to take something -- because either they've run out of unemployment or (there are) other circumstances beyond their control that they need the money for," said Andrea Schnobrich, youth services manager for CNY Works, a nonprofit corporation that uses state and federal funds to provide job placement services in Central New York.

When the town of Camillus Parks and Recreation Department began accepting applications for its summer jobs back in January and February, director Eric Bacon was surprised to see a handful of applicants who appeared to fall well outside the usual 15-to-23 age range.

"They were older, and some of them seemed to have been established, professional-type people," Bacon said.

As in summers past, the department hired about 50 young workers as summer camp staff, lifeguards and groundskeepers to help maintain the town's 872 acres of park land.

During the past 12 months, the unemployment rate among youth ages 16 to 19 was more than 20 percent, according to the state Labor Department.

The state responded to that alarming statistic last month by introducing two initiatives for New York's low-income youth, who now are slated to receive $61 million in Workforce Investment Act employment and training funds, from the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act, according to the state Department of Labor. In addition to WIA, CNY Works receives money from the federal Temporary Assistance for Needy Families block grant program, which is administered by the state Office of Temporary and Disability Assistance.

"We're planning on, between the two (funding streams), employing around 1,000 youth in an employment program that will run seven weeks in length, and youth will work up to 30 hours a week," Schnobrich said.

CNY Works usually places about 700 to 750 youth in summer jobs, Schnobrich said.

The nonprofit group received about 2,000 summer job applications this year -- about the same as past years.

"We can only place about half of them," Schnobrich said. "Although that's good, it's still not covering the complete number of youth that walk through our door."

But those who walk out empty-handed should not give up hope.

"Students I think need to start early and start looking for summer employment early, and need to be persistent and they need to be positive and network as much as they can with neighbors (and) friends of their parents," said Knapik-Scalso, of the state Labor Department. "Some industries are seasonal and they do need to hire more people in the summer."

And some even appear to be recession-proof.

The Gannon's Isle chain of two Syracuse ice cream parlors has hired back the same number of employees as last summer. Of the 51 staffers now decorating cakes and scooping flavors such as Pretzel Logic and Charlie Brown, about 45 are younger than 20 years old, says manager Alicia Ward.

"In the past few days, we've had a lot of calls from kids asking for jobs, but we're done hiring for the season."

Arielle Kaigler-Hall, a junior at Corcoran High School, has been looking for a job since she turned 15.

Although she's now 17, she said she's not worried.

She's just picky.

"I really don't want to work at a store, and I really don't want to be a cashier," she said. "What's meant for me is meant for me. I will eventually find a job that's for me."